Action Spotlight

End the war and blockade in Yemen imposed by the Saudi-led coalition which the U.S. is refueling. Urge your Representative to co-sponsor the Khanna-Massie resolution. Urge your Rep. to take action!
Img: Medecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)

Daily News

Just Foreign Policy News March 12, 2010House Afghanistan Debate: What Kucinich Accomplished On Wednesday, at long last, there was a vigorous debate about the war in Afghanistan on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. The legislative vehicle was a resolution introduced by Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of the year. But House critics of the war have long been agitating for a real debate. [includes video of Edwards, Grayson, Paul, Pingree, and Kucinich.]http://www.truthout.org/house-afghanistan-debate-what-kucinich-accomplished57588

Summary:U.S./Top News 1) Secretary of State Clinton warned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Friday that Israel had sent a "deeply negative signal" about the U.S.-Israeli relationship and urged him to take immediate steps to demonstrate it was interested in renewing efforts at a Middle East peace agreement, the Washington Post reports. Her call, made in the wake of the embarrassment suffered by Vice President Biden when Israel announced it would build 1,600 housing units in a disputed area of Jerusalem, was an unusually tough message for the longtime U.S. ally, the Post says.

House Afghanistan Debate: What Kucinich Accomplished Yesterday, at long last, there was a vigorous debate about the war in Afghanistan on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. The legislative vehicle was a resolution introduced by Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of the year. But House critics of the war have long been agitating for a real debate. [includes video from the debate of Edwards, Grayson, Paul, Pingree, and Kucinich.]http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/03/11-11

Help Kucinich Force House Debate on Afghanistan Yesterday Rep. Kucinich introduced a privileged resolution - H. Con Res. 248 - invoking the War Powers Act to force the President to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan this year. Because it is a privileged resolution, Congress will be forced to debate the issue of the open-ended U.S. war in and occupation of Afghanistan. Debate is expected early next week. Ask your Representative to become a co-sponsor of Representative Kucinich's resolution.http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/kucinich

Help Kucinich Use War Powers Act to Force Afghanistan Debate TodayRepresentative Kucinich introduced a privileged resolution - H. Con Res. 248 - invoking the War Powers Act to force the President to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan this year. Because it is a privileged resolution, Congress will be forced to debate the issue of the open-ended U.S. war in and occupation of Afghanistan. Ask your Representative to become a co-sponsor of Representative Kucinich's resolution.http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/kucinich

Schakowsky to Clinton: Investigate Human Rights Abuses in Honduras Nine Congressional Democrats have written to Secretary of State Clinton, urging her to "fully investigate reports of severe human rights abuses in Honduras." The Members of Congress say that the U.S. "must make it clear that the ongoing intimidation and persecution of activists and dissidents is unacceptable." In addition to Rep. Schakowsky, the signers were: McGovern, Grijalva, Farr, Barbara Lee, Oberstar, Honda, Conyers, and Waters. http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/sites/default/files/Honduras_Human_Rights.pdf

Help Kucinich Use War Powers Act to Force Afghanistan Debate This week, Representative Kucinich plans to introduce a privileged resolution invoking the War Powers Act to force the President to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan this year. Because it will be a privileged resolution, Congress will be forced to debate the issue of the open-ended U.S. war in and occupation of Afghanistan. Ask your Representative to become a co-sponsor of Representative Kucinich's resolution.http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/kucinich

Summary:U.S./Top News 1) Some American doctors are pleading U.S. officials to keep the Navy hospital ship Comfort in Haiti, the Baltimore Sun reports. University of Southern California surgeon Randy Sherman, medical director for the aid organization Operation Smile, said "there is no doubt" there are enough earthquake victims to keep the Comfort busy. He thinks it could operate at high volume for at least three more months. US doctors say Haiti is replete with patients whose orthopedic injuries have healed improperly and require complex surgeries that only the Comfort can provide.

2) Human Rights Watch said Honduran authorities should ensure that recent killings and other attacks on opponents of the 2009 coup are promptly and thoroughly investigated. HRW has received credible reports of multiple acts of violence over the past month targeting members of the National Popular Resistance Front, including killings, rape, torture, kidnapping, and assault.

Just Foreign Policy News March 1, 2010 Palestinians, Israelis, and Internationals Unite to Re-Open Shuhada Street Since the 1994 massacre of 29 Palestinians at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, the IDF has instituted ever tightening restrictions on Palestinian movement throughout Hebron, and particularly on Shuhada Street where six settlement blocks were established. Today even Palestinian residents of Shuhada Street have to walk on complicated make-shift pathways on rooftops and climb over roadblocks to reach their home since walking or driving on the street is prohibited. On the anniversary of the massacre, Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals locked arms to try to re-open the street; video.http://mondoweiss.net/2010/02/global-movement-joins-hebron-protest-to-open-shuhada-street.html

Haiti Relief and Reconstruction Watch: Debt Relief bill advances The "Haiti Recovery Act" passed through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week. The bill, introduced by Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) would eliminate Haiti's outstanding debt to International Financial Institutions (IFI) and any debt incurred during relief efforts. Also, the bill would encourage IFIs to make available grants rather than loans "in order to end the debt-relief cycle."http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/relief-and-reconstruction-watch/

Is the UN Violating Haiti's Minimum Wage Law? Press reports haven't provided enough detail to be certain, but there seems to be some evidence that the United Nations may be violating, if not the letter, then at least the spirit, of Haiti's minimum wage law with its cash-for-work program.http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/496

Summary:U.S./Top News 1) UN peacekeepers in Haiti didn't contribute to disaster relief in the critical 72 hours following the earthquake, Reuters reports. U.N. troops in Haiti have over the years gained a reputation for toughness and abuse more than for easing suffering, Reuters says. "The only time I've seen one of these U.N. troops jump out of the back of a truck was to beat up on somebody or take a shot at them," said a member of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division.

2) Former Taliban fighters in Herat interviewed by the Washington Post said they were promised jobs if they gave up the fight, but for the past four months, the government has honored none of these commitments, the Post reports.

Just Foreign Policy News February 25, 2010Rachel Corrie Gets Her Day in Court On March 10, in the Israeli city of Haifa, American peace activist Rachel Corrie will get her day in court. Rachel's parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie, are bringing suit against the Israeli defence ministry for Rachel's killing by an Israeli military bulldozer in Gaza in March 2003.http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/494

Urge the NYT Public Editor to Investigate the "Kill More Civilians" op-ed The New York Times has revealed that the author of the "mystery op-ed" denouncing the U.S. military for "overemphasis on civilian protection" in Afghanistan is employed by Booz Allen, a major Pentagon contractor. Urge New York Times' Public Editor Clark Hoyt to investigate why this op-ed was published and why the Times did not inform readers of the author's employment by those who stand to benefit financially from the indiscriminate use of U.S. airpower. http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/nyt-op-ed

Summary:U.S./Top News 1) The Afghan human rights commission reported that 28 civilians had been killed so far in NATO's offensive on Marja, AP reports. The commission based its numbers on witness reports. NATO has confirmed at least 16 civilian deaths.

Just Foreign Policy News February 24, 2010Urge the NYT Public Editor to Investigate the "Kill More Civilians" op-ed The New York Times has revealed that the author of the "mystery op-ed" denouncing the U.S. military for "overemphasis on civilian protection" in Afghanistan is employed by Booz Allen, a major Pentagon contractor. Urge New York Times' Public Editor Clark Hoyt to investigate why this op-ed was published and why the Times did not inform readers of the author's employment by those who stand to benefit financially from the indiscriminate use of U.S. airpower. http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/nyt-op-ed

Just Foreign Policy News February 23, 2010Haitian Garment Workers Should Get $5 a Day Americans want to help Haiti; Democrats control the U.S. Congress; the Haitian Parliament has passed legislation saying Haitian workers should be paid at least $5 a day; and specific legislation that provides preferential access to the U.S. market to garments from Haiti is already U.S. law. Therefore, the following policy reform ought to be a slam dunk: Haitian garment workers whose products receive preferential access to the U.S. market under the HOPE II Act ought to be paid at least $5 a day.http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/491

Derrick Crowe: Reporters Blow It On "1,000 Deaths in Afghanistan" Story The Reuters and AFP stories announcing the 1,000th American death in Afghanistan are wrong, Crowe notes. All of these stories cite iCasualties.org. The front page of the site does have a number in the table that's at 1,000. This number is for all of "Operation Enduring Freedom," which includes the Philippines, the Horn of Africa, and other areas. icasualties.org's current figure for "U.S. Fatalities in and around Afghanistan" currently stands at 930.http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/2/23/132034/504